Child malnutrition and prenatal care: Evidence from three Latin American countries

Objective. To examine the effect of prenatal care (PNC) on the level and distribution of child stunting in three Andean countries-Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru-where expanding access to such care has been an explicit policy intervention to tackle child malnutrition in utero and during early childhood. Methods. An econometric analysis of cross-sectional Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data was conducted. The analysis included ordinary least-squares (OLS) regressions, estimates of concentration curves, and decompositions of a concentration index. Results. The analysis shows that the use of PNC in Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru is only weakly associated with a reduction in the level of child malnutrition. Conclusions. Further expansion of PNC programs is unlikely to play a large role in reducing inequalities in malnutrition.

• Fecha de publicación: 2014
• Institución: Universidad del Rosario
• Repositorio: Repositorio EdocUR - U. Rosario
• Idioma: eng
• OAI Identifier: oai:repository.urosario.edu.co:10336/23225
• Acceso en línea: https://repository.urosario.edu.co/handle/10336/23225
• Palabra clave: Age class; Child health; Econometrics; Health policy; Health survey; Malnutrition; Parental care; Bolivia; Colombia; Latin america; Peru; Adult; Bolivia; Child nutrition disorders; Colombia; Comparative study; Failure to thrive; Female; Health disparity; Human; Infant; Male; Peru; Pregnancy; Prenatal care; Preschool child; Prevalence; Standards; Adult; Bolivia; Child nutrition disorders; Colombia; Failure to thrive; Female; Health status disparities; Humans; Infant; Male; Peru; Pregnancy; Prenatal care; Prevalence; Child nutrition disorders; Health inequalities; Latin america; Prenatal care; Stature by age; preschool; Child
• License: Abierto (Texto Completo)